Some behaviors cannot be “fixed” using medicine. While there are medicines that may help soften some behavior changes, medicines are not always the answer.Do not assume that behavior and personality changes are always due to dementia. Sudden changes could be a sign of an infection, pain, or side effect of a medication. Consider an evaluation by the person’s health care provider.Finally, some medications may cause changes in the way a person behaves. Urinary tract infections, constipation and poor sleep are examples of conditions that can cause sudden changes in the way a person behaves. Instead, they may act out in an angry way or be less active. A person with dementia may have a painful condition but may be unable to explain it or describe it. For example, if you are anxious and worried, many people with dementia will mirror your emotions and become anxious and worried.īehavior can also change due to medical issues, such as pain or infection. Also, many people with dementia rely on others for emotional cues. Noise, conversation, crowds and activity may be over-stimulating and too difficult to process or understand. They may become angry and frustrated because they cannot follow what is going on. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may be forgetful and have trouble following conversations. Someone with frontal lobe deficits may act rudely or insensitively.ĭementia also alters how a person responds to their environment. The frontal lobes also control our impulses. They are often less motivated and become more passive. Therefore, when cells in the frontal lobes of the brain are lost, people are less able to plan and stay focused. The behavior changes you see often depend on which part of the brain is losing cells.įor example, the frontal lobes are the area of the brain right behind the eyes that controls our ability to focus, pay attention, be motivated and other aspects of personality. In dementia, it is usually because the person is losing neurons (cells) in parts of the brain. People with dementia often act in ways that are very different from their “old self,” and these changes can be hard for family and friends to deal with. Behavior and personality often change with dementia.
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